Stationery forms folding attachment for use with an associated business machine



F1 E. E

A. G. ENSKAT STATIONERY FORMS FOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR USE WITH AN ASSOCIATED BUSINESS MACHINE Dec. 5, 1967 Filed April 2o, 1964 FI E. l

Zzv

` Dec. 5, 1967.

A. G. ENsKAT 3,356,557 STATIONERY FORMS FOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR USE WITH AN ASSOCIATED BUSINESS MACHINE 4` Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 20, 1964 Flll. E

G. ENSKAT 3,356,557 STATIONERY FORMS FOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR USE WITH AN ASSOCIATED BUSINESS MACHINE Filed April 20, 1.964 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Dec. 5, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 A. G. ENSKAT STATIONERY FORMS FOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR USE WITH AN ASSOCIATED BUSINESS MACHINE Filed April 20, 1964 Dec. 5, 1967 Alm,

United States Patent 3,356,557 STATIONERY FORMS FOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR USE WITH AN ASSOCIATED BUSINESS MACHINE Albert G. Enskat, Lake Zurich, Ill., assignor to Uarco Incorporated, a corporation of Illinois Filed Apr. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 361,099 1t) Claims. (Cl. 156-461) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A forms folding attachment for use with a business machine in folding strips of stationery about a generally longitudinally extending line of weakening characterized by a rst roller and second roller spaced from, and oriented generally perpendicular to, the axis of the first roller withno positive folding elements between the said rollers.

This invention relates to business machines and more particularly to a for-ms folder for use in conjunction with associated business machines.

There are many types of business correspondence which were originally in continuous form and were folded about a longitudinal line of weakening prior to being burst apart for mailing to a recipient. Examples are insurance premium notices, mortgage payment forms and the like. With such correspondencev it is intended that the recipient will keep one part of the folded form, separate and return another part to the mailing party. It is desirable to provide a convenient and rapid means for folding such continuous from literature. Usually, the continuous form stationery may most conveniently be provided with a longitudinal line of weakening which may be the fold line for the several forms.

Prior known devices for folding forms along a longitudinal line of weakening used various guildes of round metal bars or guide panels of sheet metal to direct stationery toward a folded condition. A problem resulted in that paper so folded tended to buckle or cause an uneven folding and refuse to follow the guides. As a result, creasing rolls pinching the paper did not always fold the strip in the desired place and even frequent tearing along cross lines of weakening in the stationery occurred.

Many known forms folding devices are self-powered mechanisms utilizing well known pin feeding principles to advance the stationery through the folder. With such folders, it is requisite that the control punched margins remain thereon. It is desirable to provide a folder which does not require that the control punched marginal material remain on the stationery being folded thereby so as to increase the versatility thereof. It is also desirable to provide a folder which is not self-powered but relies on the power of an associated business machine to pull the stationery through the folder so that a folder might be provided which is of simpler construction and therefore less expensive to manufacture and purchase.

It is therefore a general object of this invention to provide a new and improved forms folder attachment for a business machine.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved forms folder having means to suspend a freely extending column of stationery so that the folding occurs naturally and automatically at a point in the path of stationery travel spaced remote from any guide means in contact with the stationery.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved forms folder which eliminates the possibility of creasing or tearing of the folded forms as an incidence tothe performance of folding.

ICC

It is still another object of this invention to vprovide -a new and improved forms folder which folds forms without pinching the stationery at the point of folding.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and improved forms folder which folds the forms and feeds the same in an undistorted plane to an associated business machine.

Another object of this invention is to provide a folder which may fold stationery which has had the control punched marginal material removed therefrom.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be Iapparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a front elevational View of the forms folder of this invention showing the paper support thereof swung to an open position for receiving stationery to be folded by the folder;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the paper support roller frame which forms a part of the forms folder of this invention;

FIGURE 3 is a section view taken along the line 3 3 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section view taken along the line 4 4 of FIGURE 2 showing in detail the journaling of the idler and lead rollers of the paper support panel of the forms folder of this invention;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the forms folder of this invention illustrating the manner in which the stationery is fed therein and folded over and fed to an auxiliary business machine;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section view of the adhesive supplying accessory which may be used with the forms folder of this invention;

FIGURE 7 is a section view taken along the line 7 7 of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a section view of the upper roller assembly of the forms folder taken Ialong the line 8 8 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 9 is a section view taken along the line 9 9 of FIGURE 8; and

FIGURE 10 is `a section view taken along the line 10 10 of FIGURE 8.

Referring now Vto the drawings, the folder 10 of this invention includes a frame 12 enclosed by side panels, such as 14, for supporting the associated components of the folder. The folder is adapted to fold continuous form stationery 16 about la longitudinal line of weakening 18 thereof and feed the same into an associated business machine in the direction indicated by the arrow A in FIG- URE 5.The stationery 16 may also be provided with transverse lines of weakening 20 about which the stationery may be burst into lindividual form lengths after it has been folded. In some instances, the paper may have control punched holes 22 in the margin thereof which may be used for pin feed control of the stationery and which may be subsequently removed from the stationery by suitable trimming mechanisms, if desired. Usually, the marginal material will be trimmed prior to folding.

Positioned'at the top of the folder in the path of stationery travel is a sealing means 24 provided with suitable means for moistening adhesive or applying adhesive so that selected portions of the overlapped free edges of the stationery may be adhered, if desired. Alignment of the folder with other oice equipment is provided by arms carried by the folder frame. One end of the stationery folder is provided with a hook 25 pivoted to the folder frame at 25a and having a downwardly facing notch 25b for attaching the folder to a rod 25e of an associated business machine, such as la burster. This attachment will insure parallelism between the two machines. The stationery is intended to tbe pulled through the folder by an associated 3 business machine, such as those commonly known in the art as bursters One suitable burster is that shown in U.S. Patent No. 3,161,335 issued to R. M. Pine et al. on Dec. 15, 1964, and assigned to the assignee of this invention.

At one side of the folder there is provided a paper support 26 which comprises a pivotally mounted generally flat elongate panel 28 which, when the folder is not in use, may be swung about its pivotal mounting to close :and for-m a side panel of the folder. The outer end of the panel 28, as seen in FIGURES 1 and 3, is provided with an upstanding end plate 30 which serves to support stacks of stationery. When the panel is swung about its pivotal mounting to close one side of the folder, the end plate 30 projects to the interior of the folder frame, as shown more clearly in dotted outline in FIGURE 3. Upstanding lateral guide plates 32 secured to each side of the panel 23 generally serve to loosely embrace the supply of stationery keeping the strip within a predetermined path of travel on the panel 28.

Roller frames 34 are positioned opposite each other at either side of the panel. Each roller frame 34 is provided with appropriate openings for supporting the rear idler or drag roller 36, which is rotatably journaled about its shaft 3'8, and the front lead roller or first turning roller 40, in turn, rotatably journaled about its shaft 42. The idler or drag roller shaft 38 is mounted in an elongate slot 44 in the roller frame. When the panel 28 is in the open position, the slot 44 is substantially vertical so that the drag roller will ride on top of the stationery and provide a drag or apply tension to the stationery. The turning roller 40 has its shaft 42 rotatably journaled in openings 44a which permit-s no movement of the roller relative to the panel so that the turning `roller 40 remains a predetermined distance above the panel 28 at all times. The shaft 42 supporting the turning roller 40 also provides the pivotal mounting about which the panel 28 may be swung between open and closed positions by its attachment to the frame. Magnets, such as 48, may be provided at either side of the panel opening so that when the paper support panel 78 is swung to a closed position, the magnets Imay lock the panel in the closed position.

To place the stationery in the folder, it is only necessary to place the `stack on the panel 28` so that the fold line (usually a longitudinal line of weakening) is in proper position relative to the first turning roller 40. A center reference line 41 in the form of a groove, may be provided on the periphery of the turning roller 40 to serve as a guide for initial alignment of the stationery in the folder with the intended line of fold aligned with the reference line 41.

The top of the frame is substantially closed with a platform having a centrally disposed, transversely extending opening 52 through which the paper passes in a folded condition in its path of travel to an associated business machine. Certain guide rollers and turning rollers are provided adjacent this opening. Positioned below the opening 52 in the path of stationery travel and mounted in the guide roller frame 54 are a pair of cooperating laterally spaced guiding rollers 55 and 56. The guiding rollers are parallel and their axes are perpendicular to a vertical plane containing the axis of the lower turning roller 40. Mounted above the roller 56 about parallel axis is a relatively large diameter second turning roller 57. A portion of the periphery of the roller 57 projects above one side of the opening 52 and the stationery is drawn about the roller 57 to change its path of travel from upright to horizontal for feeding into an associated business machine in the direction indicated by the arrow A.

It is preferable that the longitudinal fold line 18 lie in a plane which intersects the space between the two guiding rollers 55 and 56. The reference mark 41 on the first turning roller 40 is in vertical alignment with the space between the two guiding rollers so that the longitudinal fold line of the stationery may be aligned with reference line 41 to insure that the longitudinal fold line will lie in the appropriate vertical plane for intersecting the space between the two guiding rollers 55 and 56. A portion of the periphery of the turning roller 57 is tangent to the same vertical plane which intersects the space between the two guiding rollers 55 and 56.

One (55) of the two guide rollers is adjustable in position. The guide roller 55 is a hollow tube having inserts 55a and 55b pressed into its ends and through which the roller shaft 58 passes. A collar 60 is connected to each end of the shaft S8 so that the shaft S8 is received eccentrically in the collar. Each collar 60 is mounted for manual rotation in the roller frame 54. When shaft 58 is rotated, both eccentric collars rotate causing roller 55 to move closer or farther from roller 55 and always parallel to roller 516. Suitable washers, such as 612, are provided between the collars 60 and the inserts at either end of the roller to center the roller between the frame members. One end of the shaft 58 is notched, such as at 64, to accommodate a screw driver or the like for adjusting the position of the roller 55 relative to roller 56. There is an opening 66 in the front panel 14 opposite the notched end of the shaft to facilitate insertion of an appropriate tool. A set screw 60a is provided for locking and unlocking each collar relative to the frame 54. By loosening the set screw 60a and selectively turning the shaft, the collars 60 may be turned in their mountings to adjust the position of the roller 55 and thus change the space between the guiding rollers. The space between the rollers should be sufficient to accommodate stationery of different weight or different thickness without pinching or actually creasing the paper. The rollers merely insure that the fold already formed, remains in place.

The guiding roller 56 is rotatably journaled in the roller frame 54 about a guiding roller shaft 70 which is parallel to and laterally spaced from the guiding roller shaft 58 so that the surfaces of the guiding rollers form a guiding channel for the folded stationery.

The stationery may be placed in a stack at the rear of the panel 28 with the stack abutting the end plate 30. A free end of the stationery is passed under the drag roller 36 and front turning roller 40. Next, the end of the strip is raised toward the two guiding -rollers 55 and 56 while manually folding the strip prior to passing the folded strip between the guide rollers. One edge is in an upright plane as seen, for example, in side elevation in FIGURE 3. As the stationery is turned about the turning roller 57 in a folded condition for feeding into an associated business machine, there is no tendency to shift the stationery to either side. The stationery generally appears to hang freely from the turning roller 57 downwardly to the first turning roller 40. At a point spaced below the gap between the guiding rollers 55 and 56, the stationery automatically is folded upon itself. As the stationery passes between the rollers, the fold has already been completed at a point remote from any mechanical restrictions or other physical urging devices. The channel between the guiding rollers is of sufficient width to permit free upright movement of the stationery and the rollers do not restrict or pinch the stationery as it passes in an upright direction. Occasionally, the free edges of the folded stationery will are outwardly from the plane of the fold line. As the stationery travels between the guiding rollers with the fold line of the stationery spaced from either roller, the

r free edges of the stationery may have contact with the surfaces of the guiding rollers but such Contact will in no way restrict the travel of the stationery, pinch the stationery, or urge the same into a folded condition since the completed fold is accomplished at a point in the path of stationery travel below and remote from the guiding rollers.

The turning roller 57 is mounted about a shaft 76 which extends through end inserts 78. Suitable washers, such as 80, are provided between the end inserts 78 and the interior of the roller frame 54 to center the roller in the frame and thus facilitate Vfree rotation of the turning roller. Suitable fasteners, such as screws 82, pass through the frame members 54 and into the shaft supporting the roller 57. As the stationery is fed upward through the rollers 55 and 56 in a folded condition, it is wrapped about the surface of the roller 57 to change the direction of travel from vertical to horizontal. Thus, the stationery may be pulled laterally in a horizontal plane to an associated business machine, as illustrated in FIGURE 5. Between the two turning rollers 40 and S7 the stationery has no contact with the forms folder except for the occasional light contact between the free flaring edges of the folded stationery and the guiding rollers 55 and 56. The stationery hangs in a substantially upright column between the second turning roller 57 and the fir-st turning roller 40 with very light contact, if at all, with the guide rollers at the fold line. At a point between these two turning rollers, below the guiding rollers, the stationery automatically and naturally is urged into a folded condition about its longitudinal line of weakening free from any mechanical pinching means or restrictions at the point of folding. The marginal edges of the stationery as illustrated in FIGURE 5 will be in contact with the guide roller surfaces and most of the pull in the stationery appears to be adjacent the marginal edges although in practice, tension is believed to be fairly uniform over the entire width of the stationery.

The folding of the stationery begins as soon as it is turned upward by the first turning roller 40 and is completed in mid-air at a point in the path of travel of the stationery below the guiding rollers 55 and56. In order for this to occur, it is preferable that the first turning roller 40 and the guiding rollers 55 and 56 are not too closely positioned to each other..In the preferred embodiment, it has been found that a distance of 22" between the axis of the first turning roller and the axes of the guiding rollers results in very effectively folding a wide form in the center. It is to be understood that this dimension is given for example only not by way of limitation for the distance between these two rollers could be greater or slightly less without departing from the scope of this invention. The stationery having been folded by hand in the initial passing of the stationery from the lower turning roller to the upper turning roller, thereafter continues to fold automatically as stationery is pulled through the folder.

The sealing means 24 which may -be used with the folder of this invention'includes an adhesive reservoir or bottle 86 which may contain a suitable adhesive actuatable liquid. In those cases where the stationery might be provided with a water actuatable adhesive thereon the reservoir or bottle 86 may contain water which will be applied to the adhesive to moisten the same so that it might seal in adhesive contact with the other strip of stationery. In those stri-ps of stationery wherein adhesive is not carried thereby the reservoir may contain a liquid adhesive to be applied to the stationery for selectively sealing the two sheets. The reduced neck 86a of the bottle is secured in a base piece 90 which is mounted at the top of platform 50. The base piece 90 has a mating dished out portion 91 for receiving the reduced neck of the bottle. Projecting upwardly from the base member and surrounding t-he bottle on three sides is a clamping means or spring clamp membe-r 92 having two wing portions which tightly embrace the bottle to hold the same to the base but permits the manual withdrawal of the bottle therefrom. The neck of the bottle is provided with an opening 94 therein for permitting free fluid communication through the bottle into the dished out portion of the base. The ibase has a bore 9S therethrough in which the adhesive conduit or hollow tu'be 100 is received and projects bothoutwardly into the path of paper travel and inwardly into the dished out portion 91. Suitable openings in the proximal end of the tube within the base piece permit the liquid to be conducted therethrough to the distal end where it will be applied to the generally upstanding brush portion 104 thereof. The brush 104 is positioned under the top folded over sheet 16a of therstationery to either apply the glue or meisten the adhesive coated surface thereof so that after the stationery passes the adhesive applying point the underside of the sheet 16a may be adhered to the top of the sheet 16b.

The folder of this invention provides a means for folding paper at a point remote from any mechanical restrictions and does not require the actual forced pinching of the paper to accomplish the folding. The stationery hangs freely between its contact with the first and second turning rollers. Folding commences as the stationery leaves the first turning roller and is completed prior to entering the space between the guiding rollers. The horizontal axis of the turning roller is perpendicular to the axis of the guiding rollers to change the upward movement of the stationery in a vertical plane to a lateral movement in a horizontal plane with the longitudinal line of weakening changing planes from upright to horizontal for feeding the folded stationery into a suitable business machine, such as a burster.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, for some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A folding attachment for a business machine for folding continuous form stationery about a longitudinal line in the stationery, comprising: a frame; a first roller mounted in the frame and having a surface which the stationery may engage prior to being folded; a second roller mounted in the frame in spaced relation to the first roller and having its axis perpendicular to a first plane containing the axis of the first roller, the second roller having a surface positioned relative to the surface of the first roller so that at least one peripheral edge of the stationery may travel in a straight line from contact with the first roller surface into contact with the second roller surface wholly within a second plane parallel to said first plane, said stationery between said first and second rollers being free of controlling contact permitting folding of the stationery between said rollers while said stationery is advanced from the first roller to the second roller.

2. AThe folding attachment of claim 1 wherein the second roller'intersects said second plane.

3. The folding attachment of claim 2 wherein the second roller is positioned above the first roller.

4. A folding attachment for a business machine for folding continuous form stationery about a longitudinal line in the stationery, comprising: a frame; a first roller mounted in the frame and having a surface which the stationery may engage proir to being folded; a second roller mounted in the frame above the first roller and having its axis perpendicular to a first plane containing the axis of the first roller, the second roller having a surface positioned relative to the surface of the first roller so that at least one peripheral edge of the stationery may travel in a stright line from contact with the first roller surface into contact with the second roller surface wholly within a second plane parallel to said first plane, said stationery between said first and second roller being free of controlling contact permitting folding of the stationery between said rollers while being advanced from the first roller to the second roller; and guiding rollers positioned below said second roller on either side of the path of stationery travel at a point in the path of stationery travel -beyond the point of stationery folding to prevent the free edges of the folded stationery from diverging outwardly after folding has occurred so that the stationery will be urged in a flattened condition about the periphery of the second roller for feeding into an associated business machine advancement of the stationery about the second roller changing the plane of travel of the stationery.

5. The folding attachment of claim 4 including drag means in the path of stationery travel for applying tension to the stationery.

6. The folding attachment of claim 4 including a drag roller positioned behind said first turning roller in the path of stationery travel for applying tension to the stationery being fed into the folder.

7. A folding attachment for a business machine for folding continuous form stationery about a longitudinal line in the stationery, comprising: a frame; a first roller mounted in the frame and having a surface which the stationery may engage proir to being folded; a second roller mounted in the frame above the first roller and having its aXis perpendicular to a first plane containing the axis of the first roller, the second roller intersecting a second plane perpendicular to the plane of the second roller and parallel to and spaced between said first plane and said second roller, said second plane being tangential to the surface of the first roller so that at least one peripheral edge of the stationery may travel in a straight line from contact with a second roller surface into contact with the second roller surface wholly within said second plane parallel to said first plane, said stationery between said first and second rollers being free of controlling contact permitting folding of the stationery between said rollers while being advanced from the rst roller to the second roller; and guiding rollers positioned below said second roller on either side of the path of stationery -travel at a point ahead of the point of folding of the stationery to prevent the free edges of the folded stationery from diverging outwardly after folding has occurred so that the stationery will be urged in a attened folded condition about the periphery of the second roller for feeding into an associated business machine advancement of the stationery about the second roller changing the plane of travel of the stationery and producing flattened, folded stationery sheets.

8. The folding attachment of claim 7 including a drag roller positioned behind said first roller in the path of stationery travel for applying tension to the stationery being fed through the folder.

9. The folding attachment of claim 7 having stationery sealing means thereon for sealing selected portions of the folded edges of said stationery.

10. The folding attachment of claim 9 wherein said sealing means includes a reservoir of sealing liquid mounted adjacent to the path of stationery to the folded stationery beyond the second roller and having an outwardly projecting conduit intersecting the path of stationery travel between the folded stationery sheets so that the sealing uid may be conducted from the reservoir to the surface of one of the folded stationery sheets at a point opposite the other folded stationery sheet so that the folded stationery may be adhered together at selected points prior to feeding into an associated business machine.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,619,057 11/1952 Ellis 270-86 XR 1,372,908 2/1921 Rogers 118-267 1,311,652 7/1919 Kendall 118-267 2,491,048 12/1949 Jenkins 156-203 EARL M. BERGERT, Prima/'y Examiner.

PHILIP DIER, Examiner. 

7. A FOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR A BUSINESS MACHINE FOR FOLDING CONTINUOUS FORM STATIONERY ABOUT A LONGITUDINAL LINE IN THE STATIONERY, COMPRISING: A FRAME; A FIRST ROLLER MOUNTED IN THE FRAME AND HAVING A SURFACE WHICH THE STATIONERY MAY ENGAGE PRIOR TO BEING FOLDED; A SECOND ROLLER MOUNTED IN THE FRAME ABOVE THE FIRST ROLLER AND HAVING ITS AXIS PERPENDICULAR TO A FIRST PLANE CONTAINING THE AXIS OF THE FIRST ROLLER, THE SECOND ROLLER INTERSECTING A SECOND PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO THE PLANE OF THE SECOND ROLLER AND PARALLEL TO AND SPACED BETWEEN SAID FIRST PLANE AND SAID SECOND ROLLER, SAID SECOND PLANE BEING TANGENTIAL TO THE SURFACE OF THE FIRST ROLLER SO THAT AT LEAST ONE PERIPHERAL EDGE OF THE STATIONERY MAY TRAVEL IN A STRAIGHT LINE FROM CONTACT WITH A SECOND ROLLER SURFACE INTO CONTACT WITH THE SECOND ROLLER SURFACE WHOLLY WITHIN SAID SECOND PLANE PARALLEL TO SAID FIRST PLANE, SAID STATIONERY BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND ROLLERS BEING FREE OF CONTROLLING CONTACT PERMITTING FOLDING OF THE STATIONERY BETWEEN SAID ROLLERS WHILE BEING ADVANCED FROM THE FIRST ROLLER TO THE SECOND ROLLER; AND GUIDING ROLLERS POSITIONED BELOW SAID SECOND ROLLER ON EITHER SIDE OF THE PATH OF STATIONERY TRAVEL AT A POINT AHEAD OF THE POINT OF FOLDING OF THE STATIONERY TO PREVENT THE FREE EDGES OF THE FOLDED STATIONERY FROM DIVERGING OUTWARDLY AFTER FOLDING HAS OCCURRED SO THAT THE STATIONERY WILL BE URGED IN A FLATTENED FOLDED CONDITION ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF THE SECOND ROLLER FOR FEEDING INTO AN ASSOCIATED BUSINESS MACHINE ADVANCEMENT OF THE STATIONERY ABOUT THE SECOND ROLLER CHANGING THE PLANE OF TRAVEL OF THE STATIONERY AND PRODUCING FLATTENED, FOLDED STATIONERY SHEETS.
 9. THE FOLDING ATTACHMENT OF CLAIM 7 HAVING STATIONERY SEALING MEANS THEREON FOR SEALING SELECTED PORTIONS OF THE FOLDED EDGES OF SAID STATIONERY. 